Fireflies. Jellyfish. Fungi. Bacteria. All very different organisms that can share 1 common trait: Bioluminescence.
Bioluminescence is the ability for an organism to emit light. For decades it was just known to be a mesmerising phenomenon seen in nature with no apparent practical use. Films such as Avatar captured the sheer awe and beauty of a bioluminescent forest, whilst the whale scene in Life of Pi captured the same effect in a marine environment. Whilst the Avatar depiction is very much science fiction, bioluminescent plankton is a common phenomenon which can be seen in nature. Outside of nature, scientists have been isolating and using the bioluminescence gene as a powerful tool for studying transgenic organisms. More recently, this gene has also been used in bioluminescence-based imaging, neuron control and drug discovery. As technology and biological understanding advances, the grey area between science fiction and science fact is narrowing, and things which were once thought to only be possible through CGI are now becoming viable solutions to modern problems. A good example of this is using bioluminescent flora as a sustainable solution to urban lighting.
Currently over 80% of the global population live in urban areas. With this comes rising energy demands which is both costly and not always sustainable. The sheer intensity of light in some urban areas is known to disrupt circadian rhythms of the natural wildlife and has been linked to increases in stress and fatigue of the people that live there. Coupled with a worldwide trend towards sustainable, green alternatives a market niche has appeared for inventive biotech companies that offer a novel alternative to traditional lighting.
Bioluminescence occurs when a luciferase enzyme catalyses the oxidation of a light-emitting luciferin molecule which in turn produces a photon of light. This reaction is being harnessed in modern interior and urban design as an innovative lighting solution. Although the technology is still in its infancy, it appears to be a promising solution due to its host of advantages over more traditional lighting options. First, it is an inexhaustible resource as many of the organisms that can be used to emit light (e.g. Bacteria) can be cultivated indefinitely and with relative ease. The cost to “feed” the organisms would be comparatively lower than the cost of electricity and likely much greener. This can in theory significantly reduce energy consumption and greenhouse emissions as it circumvents the need to fossil fuels. The cost and effort to maintain such organisms would also likely be less than the cost or creating and replacing traditional light bulbs.
Of course, aside from the more practical benefits, there are also aesthetics benefits to using bioluminescent light sources. Bioluminescence offers a unique visual experience, characterised by its ethereal glow and other-worldy appearance. The light is often considered calming as it provides a different sensory experience. Biolumiescent light sources are also less bright than LED alternatives, which could allow for a reduction in light pollution in densely populated areas, potentially allowing the stars to return to the night sky.
Whilst there are many upsides to this lighting method, there are still several distinct challenges which prevent it from being a viable solution. One primary concern is the longevity and stability of the light output. Unlike light bulbs and LEDs, bioluminescence is an active process that relies on living organisms. To produce light consistently, these organisms have to be exist in suitable conditions, which include temperature, pH, oxygen levels etc and maintaining these levels will be complex and resource intensive. Probably the largest limiting factor to this novel technology is that the light produced by these organisms is generally lower than traditional artificial lighting, which will limit its potential applications. Whilst bioluminescent lighting may not be appropriate to replace street lightning, there may be a niche to incorporate it into furniture, or within houses. There are numerous companies which have tried to exploit this niche, to various degrees of success.
The most notable of all these companies is the French start-up Glowee. Founded by Sandra Rey in 2014, Glowee makes biological lighting systems using transgenic bacteria to produce light. Sandra was placed on the Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2017 and her natural lighting solution was trialled in the French town of Rambbouillet in 2019. Plastic tubes that contain marine microorganisms called Alivibrio Fisherii were integrated into the city in a deal worth £83,000 in an attempt to turn the town into a full-scale bioluminescence laboratory. The tubes emitted an Azure glow when oxygen is supplied through a pump, and the light can be turned off by simply turning off the oxygen pump.
Glowee are currently expanding their range of offerings to hopefully include self-contained bioluminescent street furniture. The company claims that their sustainable solution consumes less energy in manufacturing than traditional energy-saving LED lights and at the same time require less energy and maintenance than traditional solutions on the market. That being said, the main downside is that the tubes only produce about 20% of the lumens per square metre than a traditional household LED. The company is experimenting with ways to increase the brightness of their light emitting bacteria, but for now there are some limitations which appear to be preventing more wide-spread full-scale adoption.
Another very promising company which provides bioluminescent lighting solutions, alongside a host of other novel biotech inventions is Bioo. Founded in 2015, Bioo “envision a greener future through a real symbiosis between nature and technology aligned with the next technological revolution”. Host to numerous entrepreneurial awards, Bioo have 4 main focus areas: Bioo Lumina, Bioo Panel, Bioo Switch and Bioo Projects. In keeping with the theme of this post, Bioo Lumina is the most relevant, but the other areas are equally as exciting and innovative. Maybe this company deserves its own blog?
Bioo Lumina currently has marketable 2 offerings, with an extra in development. NATURAL is an available offering that uses naturally bioluminescent fungi, integrated into environments in such a way to provide nighttime lighting. They are currently using 58 different species of fungi that are found naturally without the need of any additional compounds or modifications. COMPOUND is the other available offering that uses a bio-compatible phosphorescent compound (hence the name) that grows within the plant during its lifetime. In this way, non-bioluminescent plants can be made into luminescent beings without the need for genetic modifications and importantly, without affecting the natural plant processes such as photosynthesis.
GENETIC is their third offering which is currently under development and involves the genetic engineering of plants to naturally generate luciferin and luciferinase to become bioluminescent. The company claim that this technology is made with “non-dominant genes so native plants will always prevail”, but this form of recombinant technology is always met with stringent restrictions and regulations which vary by country. I imagine more studies will be needed to prove that no horizontal gene transfer takes place, and the genetically modified organisms are not a competitive risk for natural flora. This technology will of course have to pass the court of public opinion and there are also numerous moral arguments which arise when using recombinant gene technology. Bioo claims that their products can have up to a 90% reduction in energy savings and a 95% reduction in light pollution. They are an extremely exciting company to watch as the world moves towards greener and more sustainable urban environments. It is exciting to see a biotech company leading this change and driving the biological revolution forwards.
Light Bio is an Israeli based company founded in 2019. In February this year, the company announced they were ready to begin selling their Firefly Petunia plants in the US, following USDA approved for safety and cultivation, with shipments expected to start in Spring 2025. The technology behind this bioluminescent Petunia plants was developed in partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks and published in Nature, one of the top scientific journals. In essence, the product is a glow-in-the-dark Petunia plant. The popularity of the product during pre-sales shows that Light Bio have captured consumers imagination and demonstrated the markets’ readiness for novel sustainable lighting solutions. This further emphasises the trend we are seeing towards adoption of this technology in everyday settings. As Light Bio continue to develop more varied bioluminescent plant offerings, the research underpinning this paves the way for a deeper understanding of plant biology, possibly paving the way for future revolutions in food and environmental conservation. This is an exciting premise for the future, and definitely another company to watch.
More akin to the trees seen in Avatar, the French company Woodlight is researching the possibility of integrating the bioluminescent gene from marine organisms into larger plants and trees in an attempt to one day fully replace the need for street lights. The company was founded in 2018 and currently have more ideas than marketable products. They will be an exciting company to watch as they develop their lighting solutions whilst also navigating GMO plant laws and public acceptance of genetically modified organisms.
The advent of bioluminescent plants starts a new chapter in biotech innovation that hopes to blend science, with aesthetics and push the boundaries on what people think is possible. The rapid innovation in this sector opens up the start of an opportunity for households and businesses to adopt eco-friendly lighting options in a world where technology and nature can be seamlessly integrated. As with all emerging technology, the challenges of using bioluminescence as a form of sustainable urban lighting mostly lie in price and the product being effective enough to disrupt a stable market. Advances in biotechnology and sustainable design are needed for the full potential of this concept to be realised and implemented into everyday settings. For now, large scale adoption of bioluminescent flora as an alternative for urban lighting remains more rooted in science fiction, than science fact, but it is a fun concept to dream of nonetheless.
